Lining-trimming machine



April 24, 1928.

J. GOULDBOURN ET AL LINING TRIMMING MACHINE Filed Feb. 28. 1925 llllllII I I I NVE/V 727/95 Patented Apr. 24, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,666,964 PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH eouLDBoUn AND JOHN wILLIAII GODDARD, or LEICESTER, ENGLAND, AS-

SIGNORS 'ro UNITED SHOE M CHINERY CORPORATION, or PATERSON, NEW JER-SEY, A coaroaA'rIoN or NEW JERSEY.

'LINING-THIMMING MACHINE.

. Application filed February 28, 1925, Serial No. 12,427, and in GreatBritain March 8, v1924.

This invention relates to cutting machines.

and is herein illustrated as embodied in a machine designed for use insevering surplus sheet material inside and conformlng to the upper of ashoe. The invention is exemplified with particular reference to trimmingsurplus portions of the linings of shoes.

In the manufacture of certain kinds of fancy shoes, it is customary tocut out ornamental openings in the upper, to attach the lining to theupper by stitches which extend along the edges of the openings in theupper, and later to cut out those portions of the lining which "areexposed by the cut-out openings in the upper. The portions of the liningwhich are thus exposed are commonly known as panels and the operation ofcutting them out as panel cutting. The panel cutting may be done in thestitching room before the upper has been lasted, but is commonly done inthe packing room after the shoe is otherwise complete. Another occasionwhen a similar trimmlng operation must be performed arises when amarginor a portion of the margmof the lining of a shoe projects beyondthe top of the upper until after the lasting operation, as it sometimesdoes until the shoe is otherwise finished, wherefore this projectinglining material must be trimmed off into conformity with the outline ofthe edge of the upper.

The general object of the present invention is to provide improved meansfor. per forming these and similar operations.

According, therefore, to one feature of the invention there is provideda support shaped to enter a shoe so as to support an edge of the upperthereof, whether that edge extends alon the top of the shoe or about anornamenta opening in the upper thereof, a cutter mounted in the support,and arranged to function inside the shoe, and means for operating thecutter. In the illustrative construction a reciprocating cutter ismounted at the outer end of a supporting arm arranged to project intothe forepart of the shoe and adapted to permit the shoe to be moved withrespect to it so that the operator may cause the cutter to sever thelining along the desired path.

In order to ensure the making of a clean cut as well as to facilitatethe proper guiding of the movements of the shoe by the operator, afurther feature of the invention comprises a cutting block adapted tocooperate with the cutter andhaving a gaging face adapted to engage anedge of the upper to guide the feeding of the shoe so that the 'cutproduced may readily be caused to follow av path close to said edge. Inthe illustrative construction the cutting block has a narrow, flat underface against which the knife cuts; and is provided with two 'gagingfaces which may be used alternately when cutting out a panel so thatpanels may be completely out out without turning the shoe entirelyaround, and panels having portions which taper to a narrow apex mayreadily be operated upon by cutting in to the apex along one side andthen out along the other side.

In certain instances, for example when a panel is located in the toeportion'of the vamp, it may be impossible or impractical, by reason ofthe presence in the shoe of the end of the supporting arm of themachine, to turn. the shoe sufiiciently to cut out the panel; and inorder to provide for this and similar possibilities, a further featureof the inventionrelates to means forproducing relative movement ofrotation between the cutter and the support. In the illustrativeconstruction the reciprocating cutter is mounted in the support forrotation about an axis which passes through a point in the edge of thecutter. Thus, by turning the cutter about said axis the cuts made by itmay be made parallel to the guiding edges of the up er irrespective ofcurves and obliquity of said edges. This( feature may be used to do awaywith much turning or skewing of the shoe, and in some cases it affordsaccess to parts of the work that would otherwise by inaccessible inconsequences of interference of the supporting arm with manipulation ofthe shoe.

Furthermore,the cutting block is also arranged to turn about the saidaxis, and the machine is provided with manually operative means by whichthe cutter and the cutting block maybe turned collectively about saidaxis'while the machine is operating. So, even though the cutter isconcealed by the shoe, the cutting block furnishes a visual indicationof the direction in which the cutting edge extends, and by turning thecutting couple one way or the other tomamtain the edge-guiding face ofthe cutting block parallel to the work-guiding edge of the upper as thetrimming progresses, the operative may cause all the cuts to extendparallel to said edge.

These and other features of the invention including certain details ofconstruction and combinations of parts will be described as embodied inan illustrative machine and pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring now to the accompanying drawm s,

%igure 1 is a side elevation, partlyin section, of a machine in whichthe present invention is embodied;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of apart of the machine, and

Figure 3 is a detail on an enlarged scale showing the relative positionsof the knife, the cutting block and the work.

The illustrative machine comprises a frame 1 having two forwardlyrojecting arms 2 and 3 one above the ot er. The lower of these arms 3(which is downwardly inclined towards the front of the machine at anangle of some fifteen degrees to the horizontal) is small incross-section and of such a length as to permit of its forward end beingadvanced well into the forepart of a shoe. In the forward end of the arm3, and nested in the work-support hereinafter described, is mounted areciprocating chopping knife 4 and at the forward end of the upper arm 2is a cutting block 5 against which the knife 4 cuts to trim the work.

The knife is about one-eighth of'an inch wide and is formed at the upperend of a cylindrical rod 6 the axis of which is vertical and passesthrough the centre of the horizontal knife edge.

The rod 6 is secured in a sleeve 7 having at its upper end a faceagainst which a shoulder 8 on the rod is clamped by a screw 9 threadedinto the lower end of "the sleeve 7 and engaging the lower-end of therod. The sleeve 7 has formed on it a flange 10 which is supported by ashoulder 11 formed in a second sleeve 12 slidin ly mounted in a guidingsleeve 13 which is rotatably adjustable in a block 14 fixed in the endof the lower arm 3. The sleeve 12 has fixed to it a key which enters akeyway 15 formed in the sleeve 13 so that the sleeves may haverelativeaxial movement but no relative turning movement. A compressionspring 16 surrounding the sleeve 7 and within the sleeve 12 bears at itsupper end against a knife guide 17 rotatably mounted in a cap 18 screwedonto the upper end of the rotatable member 13 and at its lower endagainst the T e spring holds the ange down on to the upper face of theflan e 10 on the sleeve 7 eeaeea shoulder 11111 the sleeve 12 andpresses the I Upward movement of the member 13 under the influence ofthe spring 16 is limited by a projection 22 on the member which engagesthe block 14. The knife bar or rod 6,and the sleeves 7, 12 and 13 arecoaxial, and the axis bisects the knife edge so that when the member 13is rotated, as hereinafter described, the knife 4 is also rotated aboutthis axis. As the shaft 21 is rotated, the knife is reciprocatedrelatively to the sleeve 13. The knife guide 17 has in it an openingthrough which the knife projects and the upper faces of the knife guideand cap 18 form a support for the work being operated upon. As the knifewears away and is reground, the cap 18 is adjusted downwardly tomaintain constant the distance, say about one-sixteenth of an'inch whichthe knife projects above the face of the cap when at the top of itsstroke.

The turning of the cap cal adjustment thereof does not turn the cutterguide 17, since the two members have a swivel connection and the openingin the guide closely surrounds the cutter. Concutter is not circular incross-section the descr1bed construction provides for close fitting ofthe parts to prevent fuzz and dirt from usted position. The cap and memer may be pressed downward by the operator against the action of thespring 16 to permit a relatively thick portion of a workpiece (such asaseam) to pass beneath the cutting- 18 to obtain verti- 'sequently,although the upper portion of the block 5 which, although as hereinafterde-' scribed is yieldingly depressed, is urged downwardly b a. muchstronger spring pressure than t at which holds the member The forwardlyextending upper arm 2 of the frame 1 supports the cutting block 5 whichis formed and arranged to separate the edge ofthe upper 27 from thematerial to be trimmed and to engage the outer surface of said materialso that the cutter 4.

may out against it without touching the upper. See Fig. 3. The lowerface of the cutting block is a little longer than the knife edge andabout one-thirty-second of an inch wide. The cutting block is adapted toabut and guide a finished edge of the upper and in the operation of the.machine is usually the space between the cutting block and thelining 26(Fig. 3) which is being trimmed so that the work may be fed beneath it;but

lining is not sufiicient to allow the upper 27 (Fig. 3') to pass betweenthe block and upper face of the knife guide 17 and be cut by the knife.The axis of the knife bar (in which lies the mid-point of the knifeedge) passes perpendicularly through the centre of the lowerf-face ofthe cutting block, and the knife edge registers with the mediallongitudinal line of said face.

Owifig to the narrowness of the cutting block, and its shape, both sidefaces of it may be usedalternately as guides, it being understood thatthe knife edge cuts midway between and parallel to the two longer edgesof the lower face. The lining at opposite sides of an opening in theupper can therefore be cut out without turning the shoe around, andopenings which taper to a fine point may readily be operated upon.

The block 5 is secured in a collar 28- fixed to the lower end of a roundbar 29 (the axis'of which is in line with the axis of the knife bar 6)which. is slidably and rotatabl mounted in a bearing 30 atthe forwardemf of the upper arm 2 of the frame 1. The

upper end of the bar 29 is threaded and has.

screwed on to it a nut 31 the lower face of which rests on the upperface of a collar 32. By adjusting thisnut the distance of the lower faceof the block 5 above the work supporting face of the knife guide 17 maybe adjusted. A set screw 33 threaded through the upper end of the nutbears against the upper end of the bar 29 to lock the bar and nut inrelative adjusted position. The nut 31 and collar 32 are positionedbetween plates 34 and 35 connected together by rods 36, 36. Bearing onthe upper face of the plate 34 at each side of the screw 33 is a bladespring 37, fixed by screws 38, 38 to the frame 1 at its opposite end,which holds the cutting block down in its operative position. To raisethe cutting block for the insertion of work beneath 4 it, a lever ispivoted on a horizontal pin 39, and its forward arm 40 extends under thelower face of the plate 35. A rearwardly extending arm 41 of the leveris connected to a tr'eadle so that depression of this treadle raises thecutting block; and, when the treadle is released, the cutting block islowered by the blade spring 37 into operative position. The structurecomprising the plates 34, 35 and the rods36 prevents the spring 37 fromclamping the collar 32 between the nut 31 and bearing 30 and therebypreventing its free rotation as hereinafter described.

The knife and cutting block may b turned collectively about 180 degreesabout their common axis; and, for this purpose,

' the collar 32 has formed on it a groove 42 to receive a steel band orchain 43. "The band is fixed by a pin 44 to the collar and extendsrearwardly around a pulley'45, to

which it is also fixed by apin 46,- said pulley being fast to the upperend ofa. shaft 47. The shaft is substantially the axis of the knife andcutting block bar 29. and hasfixed to its lower end a'second pulley 48to which is fastened b a-pin 49 a second steel band or chain 50 w ichpasses around the latter pulley and extends forwardly and around therotatable-member 13 in the lower arm, to which it'is fastened by a screw51. The shaft 47 is 'rotatably mounted in a rocking bearing 52. which issupported by two cone-pointed screws, one

' of which is shownat 53, enteringconical recesses 54 in the bearing 52about midway between thepulleys and one at'each side of By adjustingthese screws the.

the shaft. bands'may be tightened, the bearing, shaft and pulleystipping about the conical points of the screws 53 to compensate fordifferences in the length of the bands. The shaft 47 is of reduceddiameter where it engages the bearing 52 and has fixed to it a handlever 55 by which the cutting block and knife may be turned. The bearing52 is held in place against the points of the screws 53 by the tensionof the .bands 43, 50. By this mechanism the cutting block and knife maybe turned in unison in'either di-- rection from their median operativeposition about their common axis. ThlS turning of the knife and blockfacilitates the cutting out of panels that would otherwise be preventedby interference between the shoe and the arm 3 of the frame of themachine.

In the operation of this machine on panel or cut-out work, the operatorraises the block 5'.by the lever 40,41-and parallel to i places the workupon the lower arm 3 with the surplus lining under the cutting. blockand the finished edge of the upperagainst the cutting block as shown byFig. 3, so that one of two locating and guiding lips 60, 61 on themargin of the face of the block will project between the liningand themargin of the upper stitched thereto.

As he allows the block with the work positioned on it in this way todescend, the lining is brought within the rangeof the knife which cutsthrough it against the block. As alread indicated, the normal setting ofthe block is such that, while in the lowered position of the block, theknife can out against it, the block is held, when the knife is lowered,above the knife guide 17 a distance somewhat greater than the thicknessof the lining, an adjustment easily secured by adjusting the nut 31 sothat the block is in proper cutting relation to the knife at the top ofthe stroke of the latter, and adjusting the cap 18 so that it is at alltimes-below the face of the block a distance slightly greater thecutting block, The operator feeds the work manually while using thecutting block as a guide until the end or corner of the opening in theupper is reached when, if it is a narrow opening, he causes the trimmingcut to return along the. other side of the opening by reversing thefeeding mow ement and guiding the work then by the other side of thecutting block. If the cutting has to be taken around a curve or acorner, he turns the knife and block or the work, or doesboth, accordingto the nature of this corner or curve and the extent to which movementof the shoe is at that time limited by having the lower arm 3 within itor rendered undesirable by the manner in which he can conveniently hold,advance or view the shoe. j

Although the invention has been described as embodied in a particularmachine, it should be understood that the invention is not limited inthe scope of its application to the particular machine which has beenshown or the particular. cutting operations described.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A machine forsevering the lining which projects beyond an edge-of the upper of a shoehaving, in combination, a work support arranged to project into a shoeand to support a portion of the lining thereof, a cutter mounted in andmovable relatively to said support to enter the shoe, and means foroperatin said cutter to sever the lining. 2. A mac ine for severing thelining which projects beyond an edge of the upper of a shoe, having, incombination, a work support arranged to engage the lining inside a shoeto support a portion thereof, a cutter mounted in and movable relativelyto said'support to enter the shoe, and means for reciprocating saidcutter inside the shoe to sever the lining.

3. A trimming machine comprising a cutting-bed formed and arranged toproject between a marginal portion of the upper of a shoe and a layer ofsheet material inside and conforming to said upper, a cutter arranged tocooperate with said cutting-bed to sever said sheet materialprogressively, and means arranged to operate said cutter. 4. A machinefor severing the lining which projects beyond an edge of a shoe-upper,comprlsin a member having a face to engage the limng, said. member alsohaving a lip to project between the lining and said edge of the upperand a dguiding portion arranged to run on said e ge, areciprocatorycutter arranged to operate against said face to sever the ining, andmeans for actuating said cutter. I

5. A machine for severing the lining which projects beyond wedge of theupper of a shoe, having, in combination, a work support arranged toenter a shoe, a cutter movably mounted in said support, means forreciprocatin said cutter tosever the lining, and'a yie dable cuttingblock against which said cutter operates.

6. A machine for severing the lining which projects beyond an edge of ashoe upper, having, in combination, a member arranged to engage saidedge to guide the work, said member having a face to engage the lining,a cutter arranged to operate against said face to sever the lining, andmeans for reciprocating saidcutter.

7. A machine for severing the lining which projects beyond an edge ofthe upper of a shoe having, in combination, a cutting block having aface arranged to engage the lining, and a work-guiding surface arrangedto abut said edge of the upper, a cutter arranged to out against saidface to sever the lining, and means for reciprocating the the cuttercooperates, said block having a portion arranged to abut and guide anedge of the work, and means for operating the cutter.

9. A machine of-the class described having, in combination, a supportadapted to enter a shoe, a cutter-movably mounted in said support, ayieldable cutting block with which the cutter cooperates, said blockhaving a portion arranged to abut and guide an edge of the work, andmeans for reciprocating thecutter against said cutting block.

10. A machine of the .class described having, in combination, a supportadapted to enter a shoe, a cutter mounted in the support, a cuttingblock with which the cutter in one-of which one gaging face engages 011%edge of'the V and during the other of which cuts the other gaging faceengages the other edge of the V.

12. A machine for severing the lining which extends across an openinglinthe upper of a shoe, a portion of whic opening is substantiallyV-shaped, having, in combination, a reciprocating cutter, and acooperating cutting block having different faces ada ted to servealternately as gages for the ang e-formin edges of the upper whereby theV-shape portion which is to be cut out of the lining may be severed bytwo progressive cuts during one of which one gaglng face engages oneedge of the V and during the other of which cuts the other gaging faceengages the other edge of the V.

13. A trimming machine comprising worksupporting means formed andarranged to pro ect into a shoe, a reciprocatory cutter nested in saidmeans and arranged to chop the lining inside a shoe, mechanism arrangedto reciprocate said cutter, and means arran ed to turn said cutterrelatively to said mec anism while the latter is operating said cutter.r

14. A trimming machine comprising a fixture formed and arranged toproject into a shoe, work-supporting means supported by and rotatablerelatively to said fixture, a

trimming cutter nested in said means and arranged to operate inside theshoe to" sever the lining, mechanism arranged to actuate said cutter,manually operable means accessible outside the shoe and connected tosaid work-supporting means to turn the latter, and means arranged tocommunicate such turning of said work-supporting means to said cutter.

15. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a worksupport arranged to enter a shoe, a cutter mounted in said support, acutting block arranged to cooperate with the cutter, means forrotatively adjusting said cutter and cutting block relatively to saidsupport, and means for operating the cutter.

16. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a worksupport arranged to enter a shoe, a cutter mounted in said support, acutting block arranged to cooperate with the cutter, means for turningsaid cutter relatively to said support, and means for reciprocating thecutter against said outtin block.

1 A machine of the class described having, in combination, a supportarran ed to enter a shoe, a cutter mounted in sai sup port, a cuttingblock arranged to function against the exterior of the shoe, means foroperating the cutter against said cutting block, and means for turningsaid cutter and cutting block collectively to follow various contours ofthe work.

18. A lining-trimming machine com rising a cutter adapted to functioninsi esa, shoe, means for guiding said cutter to func tion as specified.a cutting block arranged to cooperate with said cutter by on gmg 19. -Alining-trimming machine comprisagainst t e interior of the forepart of ashoe to sever the lining, a cutting block arranged to cooperate withsaid cutter by engaglng the exterior of the shoe, mechanism arranged toextend into the shoe to o crate said cutter, means arranged to exteninto the shoe to-guide said cutter, and means arranged to turn saidcutter and said cutting block collectively to various positions requiredby the work.

20. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a supportshaped to enter a shoe, a cutter rotatably and reciprocably mounted inthe support, means for reciprocating the cutter continuously, a cuttingblock, and manually movable means for adjusting the cutter rotativelywhile it is reciprocating.

21. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a supportshaped to enter a shoe, a cutter rotatably and recipro cably mounted inthe support, means for reciprocating the cutter continuously, acutting'block, and means movable at will for turnin the cutter and theblock collectively while t e cutter is reciprocating.

22. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a supportshaped to enter a shoe, a cutter rotatably and reciprocably mounted inthe support, means for reciprocating the cutter continuously, a cuttingblock, and a member manipulation of which rotates the cutter and theblock in unison while the-cutter is reci rocatin 23. machine of theclass escribe having, in combination, a cutter, a cutting block withwhich the cutter cooperates, and manually movable means for turning thecutter and I the block collectively about an axis which passessubstantially through a point in the edge of the cutter.

24. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a cutter, acutting block with which the cutter cooperates, and means forrotatingthe cutter and the block in.

unison about an axis which passes substantially through a point in theedge of the cutter.

25. A machine of theclass described having, in combination, areciprocating cutter, a cutting block with which the cutter cooperates,said block having a surface arranged to abutan edge of the work,manually moving a reci rocatory cutter adapted to operate able means forrotating the cutter and the block collectively about an axis whichpasses substantially through a point in the edge of the cutter, andmeans for operating said cutter.

26. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a' supportshaped to enter a shoe and to support a portion of the upper thereof, acutter mounted in the support, means for reciprocating the cutter, a rodlocated above the cutter and having its longitudinal axis inlinesubstantially with the middle point on the edge of the cutter,

a narrow cutting block carried by the rod and having its long axissubstantially parallel ed to project into the shoe to support saidsleeve therein, mechanism for reciprocating said cutter, and awork-supportin cap arranged on the upper end 0 said eeve and having anopening through which said cutter operates.

28. A machine of the class described having, in combination, anelongated support adapted to enter a shoe, a hollow sleeve rotatablymounted near the end of the support, a cutter mounted in the sleeve forrotation with and for reciprocation independently of the sleeve, and acap for one end of the sleeve, said cap comprising an outer portion heldfrom movement with respect to the sleeve and a revoluhle middle portionhaving a slot through which the cutter reciprocates.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification.

JOSEPH 'GOULDBOURN. j JOHN WILLIAM GODDARD.

